Former top executive at HBO, Time Warner Cable and Comcast, Joseph Collins, has died at 81. Collins was known for his ability to transform cable into a powerful platform for high-speed data and entertainment. He served as president of HBO from 1984-88 and later as chairman and CEO of Time Inc. subsidiary American Television and Communications, before returning to the company, he was also head of AOL Time Warner Interactive Video in 2001. He was also a founder and a chairman of C-SPAN and a board member at TriStar Pictures and TBS, where he played a pivotal role in Turner’s 1996 merger with Time Warner. Collins' funeral will be held on April 13 at St. Pius X in Westerly, Rhode Island.